In the context of the Bible, shovels are mentioned as practical tools used primarily in the service of the Tabernacle and Temple, as well as in everyday life. These implements were essential for various tasks, including the handling of ashes and the maintenance of the sacred spaces.

Biblical References:

1. Exodus 27:3 : "Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots for removing ashes, its shovels, its sprinkling bowls, its meat forks, and its firepans." This verse highlights the use of shovels in the construction of the altar of burnt offering. The shovels, made of bronze, were part of the set of tools used by the priests to manage the ashes from the sacrifices, ensuring the altar remained clean and functional.

2. Numbers 4:14 : "Then they shall place on it all the vessels with which they serve there: the firepans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins—all the articles of the altar. And they shall spread over it a covering of fine leather and insert the poles." This passage describes the duties of the Kohathites, a Levitical family responsible for the care and transport of the sanctuary's holy items. Shovels are listed among the essential items used in the service of the altar, emphasizing their role in the sacred rituals.

3. 1 Kings 7:40 : "Hiram also made the pots, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. So Hiram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the house of the LORD." Here, shovels are mentioned as part of the extensive work done by Hiram for Solomon's Temple. The inclusion of shovels among the temple furnishings underscores their importance in the religious practices of ancient Israel.

Symbolic and Practical Significance:

In the biblical context, shovels were not merely utilitarian objects but were integral to the worship and sacrificial system established by God. Their presence in the Tabernacle and Temple signifies the need for order and cleanliness in the worship of God, reflecting the holiness required in approaching the divine.

The use of shovels in the handling of ashes from burnt offerings also symbolizes the removal of sin and impurity, as the ashes represent the remnants of sacrifices made for atonement. This act of cleansing aligns with the broader biblical theme of purification and sanctification.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, tools like shovels were crafted from materials such as bronze or iron, depending on the period and available resources. The biblical instructions for making shovels of bronze for the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:3) reflect the technological capabilities and artistic craftsmanship of the time.

Shovels, as part of the priestly toolkit, were essential for maintaining the sacred space where God's presence dwelled among His people. Their use in the Tabernacle and Temple highlights the meticulous care and reverence required in the service of God, a principle that resonates throughout the Scriptures.

Overall, shovels in the Bible serve as a reminder of the practical aspects of worship and the importance of maintaining purity and order in the presence of the Holy.3257. ya -- a shovel
... a shovel. Transliteration: ya Phonetic Spelling: (yaw) Short Definition: shovels.
Word Origin from yaah Definition a shovel NASB Word Usage shovels (9). shovel. ...
/hebrew/3257.htm - 6k

How Three Sunday School Children Met their Fate
... children imprisoned. The neighbors and all hands got their shovels and picks
and crowbars and were working to set the children free. It ...
/.../how three sunday school children.htm

Hiram, the Inspired Artificer
... All the furnishings were also made by Hiram, such as pots, basons, shovels; probably
also the golden altar, and table, with the seven-branched lamp stands, of ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hiram the inspired artificer.htm

How Three Sunday School Children Met their Fate.
... imprisoned. The neighbors and all hands got their shovels and picks and
crowbars, and were working to set the children free. It ...
/.../moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/how three sunday school children.htm

Note what Jesus Says.
... other one. I haven't got much respect for those men who dig down for stones
with shovels, in order to take away the word of God. Men ...
/.../moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/note what jesus says.htm

The Sad Fate of a Guilty Nation
... Also the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the bowls, and all the vessels of brass,
with which sacrifices were offered in the temple, they took away. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the sad fate of a.htm

Of the Jews; of their Attempt at Building, and of the Heaven-Sent ...
... He despatched also as governor a fit man to carry out his impious orders. It is
said that they made mattocks, shovels, and baskets of silver. ...
/.../theodoret/the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter xv of the jews of.htm

section ii.
... of Holland (of which the Grand Seignour [34] proudly said, if they should trouble
him as they did the Spaniard, he would send his men with shovels and pick-axes ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section ii.htm

Of the Building of this Temple
... He also made all its vessels of brass, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons;
and besides these, the snuffers and the tongs, and all its other vessels, he ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 of the building.htm

Satan's Banquet
... There is a secret chamber, where he shovels out the creatures whom he hath himself
destroyed"a chamber, beneath whose floor is the blazing of hell, and above ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/satans banquet.htm

The First Ministry of the Baptist.
... this the wheat is threshed from the chaff by manual labour, but the two lie
intermingled till the evening, when the grain is caught up in broad shovels or fans ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/v the first ministry of.htm

Shovels (9 Occurrences)
...Shovels (9 Occurrences). ... Exodus 38:3 He made all the vessels of the altar, the
pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. ...
/s/shovels.htm - 9k

Pots (30 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 You shall make its pots to take away its ashes, its shovels, its basins,
its flesh hooks, and its fire pans: all its vessels you shall make of brass ...
/p/pots.htm - 15k

Basins (33 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 You shall make its pots to take away its ashes, its shovels, its basins,
its flesh hooks, and its fire pans: all its vessels you shall make of brass ...
/b/basins.htm - 16k

Pails (6 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 You shall make its pots to take away its ashes, its shovels, its basins,
its flesh hooks, and its fire pans: all its vessels you shall make of brass ...
/p/pails.htm - 7k

Pans (19 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 You shall make its pots to take away its ashes, its shovels, its basins,
its flesh hooks, and its fire pans: all its vessels you shall make of brass ...
/p/pans.htm - 12k

Flesh-hooks (5 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make its pots to take away its ashes, and its shovels,
and its basins, and its flesh-hooks, and its firepans: all the vessels ...
/f/flesh-hooks.htm - 8k

Fleshhooks (5 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels,
and his basins, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof ...
/f/fleshhooks.htm - 8k

Forks (6 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make its pots to cleanse it of the fat, its shovels,
and its bowls, and its forks, and its firepans; for all the utensils thereof ...
/f/forks.htm - 8k

Bowls (47 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make its pots to cleanse it of the fat, its shovels,
and its bowls, and its forks, and its firepans; for all the utensils thereof ...
/b/bowls.htm - 21k

Fire-pans (11 Occurrences)
... Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make its pots to take away its ashes, and its shovels,
and its basins, and its flesh-hooks, and its firepans: all the vessels ...
/f/fire-pans.htm - 9k

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